The 2009-2010 NFL Season: General News & Discussion Thread

[Drew]

I'm gonna have to agree with Ayhja here (although I think he may be referring to something Bill said) in that 30 yards or 70 yards isn't really that much of a difference to a Peyton Manning run offense. Teams play that ridiculous prevent and let pretty much every team get within 40 yards almost at will when it comes to these 2 minute drives. Granted, they would have gotten 20 yards away with a little less time...but the options were Win the game right here vs Give Payton the ball (with the run) or Give Payton the ball (punt)......any time I can keep it out of Payton's hands and win the game right there....I'm taking that option.

I agree, it sucks that hindsight is 20/20 and he's gonna get slammed. If they would have got it....he's a genius. But...that's just the way things go for coaches.

[darklighter1]

I'm dieing today....absolutely dieing. That was the most brutal loss during a regular season game that I can ever remember this team having. I just think it was a ridiculous call to go for it on your own 28. The defense was pretty lousy last night but at least give em a chance to try and stop Manning. I hate when a loss gets to me this bad but man I am devastated today.

[AYHJA]

The thing is, they weren't going for the win. They were already up by a touchdown, so if they would have gotten the first down, they could have just knelt the ball down and ended the game.

Exactly..! That's going for the win..! Getting the first down at that point = game over..! C'mon guys, this is the NFL...Anything could have happened...An errant snap on the punt...A blocked punt...A punt return for a TD...The point is, this game should not have even been close, let alone it coming on the side of a Colts win...Maroney fumbled in the endzone, which, to me, is by FAR the most heinous thing that happened for the Pats...

Like I said, looking that this game big picture, you are screwed either way...I'm a Brady fan...Do you think I was worried when he was down 2 touches late in the 4th against Buffalo earlier this year..? Unless the Pats punter could have punted the ball out of the fucking stadium, there's no way New England's d was going to do anything...Peyton would have killed them...Shit, the touchdown throw was a practically impossible play...You got the best quarterback and WR in the game...You need 2 yards...Anyone who wouldn't go for it is crazy..!

I know there are no moral victories, but the Pats owned the Colts in their own stadium, now they've pissed them off by winning this game, I mean...I don't think a rematch would even be close...It's not like the Pats aren't going to make the playoffs this year, so don't sweat it...I

[Drew]

I sure wouldn't mind seeing the Pats win the superbowl this year :)

[¡ñ±£¿®∆L Ф¶†ïς@п]

I agree with Kumicho and Drew here, and the one radio analyst that thinks Bill made a good (if not, ballsy) call there. He "played to win (and ice) the game, at that spot, here and now, lights out".

short to say: Bill had faith in his offense (which was dominating 85% of the game) more than he had faith in his now young defense, facing arguably the best QB of the decade in Peyton Manning, and his bevy of receiving options (Wayne, Clark, Collie, Addai, Garcon, Brown, and some unknown FB who could have made the Pats look foolish by not covering him). Peyton made all of those receivers as dangerous as they are, but if you think you can cover the #1 WR and #1 TE in the NFL at the same time, (three weeks ago, this would have been A. Johnson and Owen Daniels, but still...) you're crazy.

Bill might be the "mad bomber" genius of coaches in the NFL right now, and he speaks like a robot, but he knew the only way to end the game positively was to double-down and try to get two more yards and seal the win.

From what I hear, he actually got those yards, but the officials spotted the ball horrendously (it's just what I heard).

[¡ñ±£¿®∆L Ф¶†ïς@п]

Also, debate that is not really a debate anyway:

The Cincinnati Bengals are the comeback story of the year, hands down.

Now all they have to do is relatively get down off their high, play competitively, and more or less coast, and they'll be assured a top seed in the AFC.
So long as they don't beat themselves, and don't reference that they are atop their division, they can easily achieve the same record they had in the first half of the season to close out the second.

Drew, have you finished Hard Knocks yet?
Does it make it better to have watched it and actually see them winning on defense and just finishing games with their offense? It's unreal. Credit to the Bengals. At this point, both Palmer and Benson are in the top-5 conversation for "Comeback Player of the Year".

[erokero85]

It was a bad call for one and only one reason, it didn't work. If it did, every thing else is just blah blah blah... I'm Bill B! Gettoffme! But I'm not sure they got the YARDS they needed. There was no clear shot of complete control and the 2 yards they needed.

And more so, just what are you telling your defense? He pretty much told them, hey, good job but FU guys. And say all you want about bad snaps and botched punts, but again that's just telling the rest of the team I don't trust you guys to execute your jobs. Me, I force the other team to execute more plays and show trust in my defense. If you're so worried about bad snaps, why not think that might work in you favor and force the Colts to snap the ball as much as possible?

The only thing I thought was ok about the play was the call. He did put the ball in the hands of his best player, Brady, to make a good read and make a play. The pass was on target, or as best as it could have been, and the route did have enough depth to gain the 1st down, but the receiver didn't have possession and control of the ball to warrant forward progress. At least in the view of the ref.

[¡ñ±£¿®∆L Ф¶†ïς@п]

If we're gonna stay on this ... even though Bill made the right call; And ero, Belichick has the right to tell his defense, "sorry, but you're not gona stop this guy when the game is on the line, you're just not. It's alright. He is a Manning after all, remember what happened that one SuperBowl? Oh, what a play! Wish I could take that one back! Hey-Oh! But, enough digression, I'm taking this into my hands and devious mind, something they wouldn't expect; so, I'm placing this game on the line, and into the hands of MY best player, (Brady) the very one that has allowed us to come this far. So, for just this one play, have some faith."

He went against the grain, and ultimately failed. It happens all the time on 4th an short calls. Very devisive play, that splits opinions on whether or not it was right. But, had he succeeded, the game would have been over, right there, with a few successive knees. It was improbable that Peyton would put up two score in two minutes, and he probably thought that as well, but if it was gonna happen, at least he did all he could to stop that progression. He wanted to move forward, not just let Peyton (his arch-nemesis) have the ball again. What you guys are saying Belichick should have done, inconceivably, was punt.

In case you didn't know, when you punt the ball, it is the equivalent of saying, "no, thanks, we've come this far, and we don't want to risk it, but we'd like you to have the ball now, we're through". It's a cultural euphemism for "mailing it in", and I would never expect that from a 4-Time SuperBowl head coach.
Of all the caoches in the NFL, he is the most who wants to win, all the time. It hurt him more than it hurt you, you can bet on it.

But, I digressed into another diatribe of mine; this was what I wanted to "lighten the mood" with instead:


[iframe]http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl,202656[/iframe]

[AYHJA]

GOOD POINT IO..!! I had all but forgotten what Eli had done to traumatize the Pats in the SB..! I bet he didn't forget that though...

The point was made that the previous two possessions, Manning lead 2 TD's in two minutes or less...That was absolutely the right call...If you watch the replay, this may actually be on Brady, Welker looked wide open...But the spot was horrible too, so...The Pats did enough to win the game, they just didn't...Can't really be mad at them about that, you know..? You're not telling your defense anything except, ''Hey, you guys got slashed the last two times out, I'm gonna go for the win here, mkay..?"

More coaches should play to win...They needed 2 yards...They have arguably the best QB and WR of all times, not the best LB and CB...You dance with who brought you, period...

[¡ñ±£¿®∆L Ф¶†ïς@п]

... on what occured to the AFC North division last Sunday. It was unbelievable. Real drama and heartbreak, even. (Have I told you that the NFL is my favorite daytime (nighttime) soap-opera ever?)

courtesy of one of the many blogs I have come to love this season, now that I have discovered how to read on the internet (but not post): Shutdown Corner

[iframe]http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl,204168[/iframe]


(also, have I told you how much I love this board [and Kumicho] for having the 'iframe feature', cause it's great.)